Why We Must Prioritize Both Prayer and Scripture Reading

We know Jesus is divine, the Son of God. As John 1:14 describes it, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

We also know that, as the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Further, it’s clear that God spoke through various prophets before Jesus, through them giving the people His instructions and hints about what would come. 

But taking a look at Jesus himself and his relationship with the Bible says much, as well.

First, Jesus read the Bible and relied on it. Back then, there was only the Old Testament, as the New Testament was written after his death and resurrection. But he very impactfully used the Bible in his ministry. At one point while teaching, he noted, “Scripture cannot be set aside” (John 10:35). 

At another point, he said he didn’t come to abolish the Law or prophets but to fulfill them, noting, “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

He used the Bible to expound on his teaching, reminding them of various Bible stories to make key points. 

Second, Jesus knew how powerful God’s word was for us all. He used Scripture to counter the devil’s temptation arguments during his time in the wilderness. For example, when the devil urged a hungry Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus replied, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). 

Not only was he using Scripture as a weapon against the devil, he was also praising the power of the Bible as life-bringing and life-affirming.  

Third, Jesus told us that all Scriptures point to him. He criticized the Jewish leaders for not understanding this important point, noting in John 5:39-40, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”

After his resurrection, when he walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the Bible tells us Jesus taught his followers the importance of God’s word, as “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

Fourth, Jesus summed up what is most important to God when he summed up the greatest commandments of the Bible in Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

It is very clear that Jesus thought Bible reading was essential.

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Jesus also strongly modeled prayer for us. He told us throughout his ministry how important it is to pray, and he commanded his disciples to pray. 

First, Jesus is an example for us. As “Word become flesh,” he died as a sacrifice for our sins. He stood in our place and paid our sin-debt so that we may have eternal life. In John 3:16, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus also said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

We can walk in his ways knowing that when we do so, we draw closer to the Father. 

As he says in John 14:10, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”  

Jesus prayed throughout his life on earth: at his baptism (Luke 3:21), when he was in the wilderness and tempted by the devil (Matthew 4), before choosing his disciples (Luke 6:12), when he needed a break or some quiet time with God (Luke 5:16), when he was in despair and need, such as the night before his betrayal and arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:40-44), and while on the cross (Matthew 27:46, Luke 23:34, 46).

He also specifically told his disciples to pray (Matthew 26:41). He gave them a good model of a simple prayer when they asked for one (the Lord’s Prayer, Luke 11:2-4), and he told them they should pray to God for what they want.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).

In Mark 11:24, he said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

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Yes, it is important to read and know Scripture intimately. And yes, it is important to pray. Jesus did both, and his behavior toward both indicates how important they should be to us. 

The apostle Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament, also urged us to do both — pray and read the Bible. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And, in his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). He also urged Timothy to devote himself “to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13).

A balance is important. Both help us. Both are essential.

Why Not Both at Once?

And why not do both simultaneously? Many people pray while reading Scripture, or pray through the Scriptures. They pray for understanding before, during, and after reading, and the verses themselves become prayers to the King of the Universe, God Almighty.

If you set aside time to pray daily, but you don’t read the Bible, consider devoting some time to poring through the Scriptures each day. And alternately if you are a daily Bible reader but don’t spend enough (or consistent) time in meditation with the Lord through prayer, consider adding this as an exercise in intimacy with the Lord.

Jesus did both, and so should we.

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